Clasp.



J; V. NEWTON.

` CLASP. y APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1905. EENBWBD FEB..14, 1908..

900,034. Patented sept. 29, 190x.

U-Nrrn sriifrns JonN v. NEWTON, onLos ANGELES, ciinIroaNia.

rAh'rnNr onirica..

CLASP.

No. 9w00,0?4.- Y Specification of Letters; Pat'iic. retreated s'pj. .29, iode.

Application led June 12, 1905, Serial No. 264,918. Renewed February 14, 1908 Serial No. 415,967.

To all whom it may concern: j

Beit known that I, JOHN V. NEWTON, a citizen of Canada, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of Califor nia, have invented a new and useful Clasp, of which the following is a specification.

An object of the invention is to provide a neat, simple and eective device'which will be acceptable to ladies of fashion and others for holding their skirts u from the ground and which will clasp the 'abric and hold the same firmly and strongly without liability of slipping under ordinary conditions and which will not injure the most delicate fabric.

The clasp is also intended to be used for holding delicate draperies, etcf-for show windows and the like.

. or elastic surface.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a view of theappliance'in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the appliance in its normal gripping position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the appliance in its normal gripping position. Dotted lines indicate the position of parts when the clasp is open to receive the object to be gripped. Fig. 4 is an end view looking from the bottom in Fig.

1 and 2 are the crossed members of the tongs; 3 and 4 the gripping arms thereof; 5 the terminals of said arms, and 6, the knobs on said terminals which are provided with a resilient surface, being composed of rubber or some other soft or elastic material.

7 is a looped spring having crossed arms 8 and 9, pivoted at their ends respectively to the ends of the operating arms 10, 11, respectively. Preferably the bight of the loop 12 of the spring is in the form of a spiral spring. The resilient closing means for the tongs are thus made to consist solely of a substantially V-shaped spring, each end of which is pivotal ly attached to an arm of the tongs.

13 is a suspending device in the form of a chain in which a spring 14 may be interposed to give the dress held by the clasp a resilient support. Usually the spring may be omitted. The chain 13 is caught in the loop- 12 of the spring and is provided with a hook 15 by which it can be looped over the belt of the wearer.

By this invention a novel and convenient inode of opening the clasp results on account of the clasp being formed as a pair of tongs having crossed arms and being provided at the end o posite the gripping portions with resilient clbsing means consisting solely of a substantially V-shaped spring having an intermediate coil and crossed ends, one of which engages each of the arms of the tongs and tends to close the same.

In practical use as a dress su porter, the hook 15 will be looped over the E clasp will be allowed to'dangle at the side. When the wearer desires to lift the skirts, she will catch them up with one hand and with the iin ers of the other hand may press the sprin oop 12 and the pivoted 'portion 16 of the c asp toward each other, thus brin ing the arts into the position indicated by otted lines in Fig. 3. 1 Then the dress may be inserted between the gripping jaws and the clasp released; whereupon the spring will force the jaws together into the position shown in the several views. The resilient knobs tend to chamber-with ,each other so that when released, the fabric will be bent in a wavy line between the knobs and no injury to the fabric will occur, yet the same will be held firmly. The strain on the clasp elt and the caused by the weight of the fabric held there- I by, tends to draw the clasp tightly together; the force of the sprin 8, 9, 12, acts in conjunction with the we1ght of the suspended fabric to force the jaws together' by a toggle action or operation of the actuating arms 10 and 11 and the spring arms 8 and 9.

By thus providing a clasp having cush' ioned interlocking gripping means and a -lieXiknobs flatten to some extent and thereby afford a broad smooth gripping surface which securelyl holds the garment Without injury 'to the same. Y

What I claim is 5 1. A clasp com rising tongs having crossed arms, said arms. eingl provided with grippin terminals at one end and at the other end Wit resilient closing means, said means oonsisting solely of a spring having a coil at the 10' middle thereof and crossed ends, .one of which is pivotally attached to each arm of the tongs.

2; A clasp'comprising tongs having crossed arms, said arms being provided with grip- .pin yterminals at one end 'and at the other end 1 5 Wit .resilient closing means, said means eon Sisting solely of a substantially vl-shaped spring, each end of which is pivotally attached to an arm of the tongs.

In testimonv whereof, I have hereunto set 20 my hand at El a'so', Texas, this 29th d ay of May 1905.

JOHN V. NEWTON. In presence of-4 P. R. PRICE, RANDOLPH TERRY. 

